Moodle forums

UCL has recently installed the Advanced forum plugin, which shows a nice report of how many times each student has posted, replied and made a substantive post (based on posts flagged as such by a tutor). The Advanced forum also allows anonymous posting as an optional setting that tutors can enable. Apart from these additions it behaves like the standard Moodle forum.

Blackboard Collaborate

Blackboard Collaborate is a web conferencing tool that allows tutors to run virtual lectures and tutorials, with students located remotely at their own computers. Web conferencing systems typically support video of presenters (and participants), a voice chat feature, text chat and application sharing, so students can see whatever is on your screen. Blackboard Collaborate also allows tutors to break the students into groups (using break-out rooms) so students can collaborate in smaller groups, before coming back to the main room's discussion. Some alternative systems that offer basic web conferencing features includeSkype andGoogle Hangouts.